Recap: After Dark Tour Series: Ellie Caulkins Opera House
DAF was delighted to announce a NEW After Dark architectural lighting tour series in partnership with the Illuminating Engineering Society. Great lighting design often goes unnoticed, making it one of the unsung heroes in many great buildings and landscapes. Good lighting is necessary to sustain human activity, of course, but great lighting can enhance way-finding, draw attention to or away from building features and even work in tandem with the circadian rhythm of humans. In this series we examined three iconic Denver buildings – Denver Union Station, Ellie Caulkins Opera House and STEAM on the Platte – from the perspective of lighting design. Tour guides discussed what makes for great lighting and why its significance in architecture should never be overlooked.
About this tour: Barbizon Lighting Company and HLB Lighting Design brought new life to the historic Auditorium Theater, today Denver’s beloved Ellie Caulkins Opera House, with their marvelous theatrical and interior lighting design. Barbizon’s work elevates the more intimate and technically advanced performances that take place in the space, while HLB’s work is thoughtful about the performance support spaces and a variety of areas where members of the public gather while attending events. Collaborating with Semple Brown Design and Fisher Dachs Associates, Barbizon and HLB worked at many levels to support the team’s vision for a dramatic yet enduring design.
About the tour guides: Rick Loudenburg, Systems Integration Manager at Barbizon Lighting Company, is always looking for solutions. His BS in Architectural Engineering (specializing in Illumination Engineering) from the University of Colorado, coupled with decades of project experience, uniquely qualifies him as a leader in the world of performance lighting and rigging systems integration. Founding Barbizon in Denver in 1997 he set the standard as the go to “Construction for Production” solution. Never backing down from a good challenge while delivering sustainable results has earned Rick the privilege of working on unique and exciting projects from repeat clients locally, nationally and internationally.
Teal Brogden, Senior Principal at HLB Lighting Design, is bold, dynamic and unafraid of taking risks through lighting. Teal is an inspiring design thinker who reaches deep for the artistic essence of a design challenge. Teal’s combined background in the arts and engineering puts her at ease with both the ephemeral and technical challenges inherent in lighting design. Her holistic design perspective has been honed and applied over three decades of industry leadership and iconic project work, making her an invaluable team member who elevates the aspirations of every project in which she is involved.
Mark J. Gabriel DeBell, Production Manager, Denver Performing Arts Complex, is a third generation North Denver Native. Mark holds a BA from Loretto Heights College and was a member of the Tony Award winning Denver Center Theatre Company for 20 years as a stagehand. As a lighting designer, his credits include productions for Opera Colorado, Eklund Opera Program at CU, Augustana Arts, Swallow Hill Music and Hawaii Performing Arts Company. Mark joined the ASM Global Theatrical Services team in July of 2013 as a Production Manager at the Denver Performing Arts Complex and has advanced over 360 shows in that time. Collectively, Mark has worked in the Denver Performing Arts Complex venues for 38 years.
